First Night
by Rachel Wilder
Summary: It's the first night...the first night of their lives without Rayna.
1. Deacon

Deacon watched as her eyes flickered, then closed. The alarm started to sound and he could hear the wail of the girls as they began to cry, their bodies covering Rayna. He could still hear her last words. "I love you, Deacon. Sorry."

He had loved her since the moment he first saw her and now...the cries, the alarm, she was gone. He fell down on her, not believing this could possibly be happening.

The nurses and doctors came rushing in, pulling them away, working on her, but it was over. She was gone.

* * *

He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting in the chair in the corner of her room. It felt like hours. It felt like minutes. He looked up as Scarlett walked in. She came over and knelt in front of him.

"Deacon...we need to go. They need to...they need to come take her."

He looked up, feeling like a weight of a thousand pounds was on his shoulders. "I don't know if I can."

"I'm so sorry, but, we need to let them take her," Scarlett said again. "And we need to take the girls home. Can you come with me?"

He took a deep breath. "I can't go back there," he said quietly. "I can't go back to her house, not if she ain't there."

"It's okay...we don't need to," Scarlett replied. She looked over her shoulder and nodded. Gunnar slipped into the room.

"C'mon, Deacon," Gunnar said quietly, as he helped Deacon up from the chair. Deacon leaned heavily on him as Scarlett slid under his other arm and they helped him from the room.

The girls were in the hall, sitting on a couch with Juliette between them. He wanted to go over to them, but wasn't sure he would make it.

"Why don't we go to your house," Scarlett suggested. "We can go there tonight and tomorrow, we'll figure things out."

Deacon nodded, not trusting his voice. He didn't care where they went as long as it wasn't back to Belle Meade.

* * *

Bo pulled Juliette's car up in front of Deacon's house in East Nashville. He looked out the window. The house was dark.

"Looks like no one's here," Bo commented from the driver's seat.

"What?" Deacon asked.

"The press was all over the hospital, probably your house, too," the bodyguard replied.

Deacon looked down at the girls on either side of him, collapsed with exhaustion and anguish. He hadn't even thought about the possibility of press, the circus this would all become.

"Let me get them in the house," Bo offered.

"I got it," Deacon replied, then realized he had no way to get out of the back of the car, so sat not moving until Bo came around and opened the door, easing Daphne out. She looked up at him, but made no move to stand or walk toward the house. Bo lifted her easily and started walking toward the front door where Scarlett and Gunnar waited.

"C'mon, honey," he said to Maddie as she sobbed again against his shoulder. He helped her from the car, then walked slowly toward the door with her.

He stepped into the house, immediately feeling the comfort of the familiar space.

"Let's just put them down in my room," he suggested as Scarlett showed Bo the way to Deacon's room. He followed with Maddie, helping her into the bed next to her sister.

"Just try to sleep," Scarlett said as both girls began to cry again. She sat down on the edge of the bed, smoothing their hair. Deacon stood at the door, unsure of what to do.

"Dad?" Daphne asked.

Deacon moved to the other side of the bed where Daphne lay and sat down. "Yes, sweet girl?"

"Did you call Aunt Tandy?"

Scarlett looked at him and nodded.

"She's on a plane, honey," Scarlett said. "And...and we're gonna call your dad in the morning."

Deacon looked at her and Scarlett shrugged. Of course. Teddy would need to be called.

"Please just try to sleep for a little bit," Deacon suggested. "Okay?"

He sat for a few more minutes with them, then as they slipped into a fitful sleep, he got up and headed back to the living room.

"Can I get you something?" Gunnar offered as he walked into the living room and sat down heavily on the couch.

Deacon shook his head, then cleared his throat. "Uh, maybe a glass of water."

Scarlett headed for the kitchen and came back with the glass and a small plastic bottle. "I picked up your pills when I ran over to the house earlier."

He took the water and the immunosuppressants from her, tossing them into his mouth and washing them down. "Thanks."

"You gotta take care of yourself," Scarlett admonished him.

He nodded. He would. He had promised Rayna. He looked over at the clock. It was almost 9 pm. It had been 24 hours since that call from Rayna, from the horrible sound of the truck hitting the police car, the silence on the phone other than the sound of Rayna in pain.

He shook his head, trying to make the memories go away, trying to erase all of it.

"You should get some sleep, too," Scarlett said, breaking into his thoughts.

He looked up at her. "Not sure I can," he said, honestly.

"Can you try for me?" she asked.

"What about you?" he responded. He looked over at Gunnar. "I don't know that I remember either one of you leaving the hospital yesterday...I mean, today...how long were we there?"

Gunnar shrugged.

"Tandy's coming?" he asked, remembering what Scarlett had said earlier in the bedroom.

"I'm gonna go out and pick her up in a while," Gunnar said. "Her flight gets here a little after eleven."

"I called her when they took Rayna to ICU," Scarlett explained.

Deacon nodded. "I...I can't see her tonight," he stated.

"I'll take her to my house," Gunnar offered. "I can call Will and have him make up Avery's room."

Deacon looked at him. "Thanks...I'm not sure...what would I do without y'all?"

Scarlett came over and sat down next to him, sliding her arm around him. "We're you're family. And we'll be here as long as you need us."

Deacon nodded, feeling like if he said anymore he would start to cry again and if he started now...well, he would never stop.

"You should go with Gunnar," Deacon said as the time came for Gunnar to go to the airport.

Scarlett shook her head. "I'm not goin' anywhere...I am gonna go back in my room and lay down for a while, but I'm stayin' right here with you."

"What...what's happening with Teddy?" he asked.

"Nothin'," Scarlett replied. "We can talk about it tomorrow."

Deacon nodded, realizing there were so many people they would need to call.

Scarlett reached over and put her hand on his arm. "Stop thinkin' about all the stuff you're gonna have to do."

"Rayna would be so on top of it all," Deacon said, his voice choking.

Scarlett was quiet for a moment.

"I don't think so," she finally replied. "I think she'd be here, a lot like you, devastated and not sure what to do next. I was with her, when we weren't sure what would happen with your transplant and I don't think she'd have it all together."

Deacon laughed, then started to cry again. "I just…"

Scarlett took him in her arms. "You are gonna need to be strong for those girls, but you don't need to be strong for anybody else. So, just let it...let it out."

He broke down, finally letting the sobs wrack him as he'd been trying to stop since the moment those alarms first went off. And now that he'd started, he wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to stop.

* * *

Deacon woke up, unsure for a moment where he was. He sat up on the couch where he had fallen asleep. The house was quiet. Scarlett must have finally gone to her room to sleep. He rubbed his hand across his face, feeling the chapped skin where his tears had dried. His back ached from the awkward position he'd been in on the couch.

And then the wave swept over him again. She was gone. Rayna was dead. He felt the choke of sorrow come again. It was never going to go away. He was never going to stop feeling this pain.

He heard a sound and looked up to see Maddie standing in the door to the kitchen.

"C'mere," he said to her, holding out his hand in invitation.

She crossed the room and sat down next to him. "How can she be gone?" she choked out.

He shook his head. "I don't know."

Maddie leaned against him. "I don't want to be here without her."

"You want me to take you home?" he asked. Maybe it had been the wrong thing to bring the girls here. Maybe he should have taken them back to the place where Rayna was still everywhere.

"No...I don't want to be anywhere without her," Maddie replied.

He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Me neither, sweetie...me neither."

* * *

Finally the first light of morning came. He carefully got up from the couch, trying not to disturb Maddie, who had finally fallen asleep again, and headed into the kitchen to make coffee. He filled his mug, checked on Daphne, who was still asleep in the bedroom, and then headed for the front porch.

He eased down on the wide front step and thought about their first morning in the house. They didn't have a table, so their first breakfast had been out on this porch...a cup of coffee for each and the leftover sandwiches from the night before. He felt the grief wash again as he thought about her laugh as she handed him a mug, her own coffee in a spaghetti jar.

"Don't burn yourself," he'd warned as she lifted it to her mouth. They'd had so little when they were starting out, but this house had been a tangible sign of their first real success.

He looked up as the door opened. It was Scarlett, pulling a sweater tight around her shoulders. "You need a coat?" she asked as she came and sat next to him. He shook his head.

"I'm fine."

"You sleep any?" she asked.

He took another sip of the dark, hot liquid. "Little bit. You?"

Scarlett shrugged. "Kinda hard."

"Are the girls still asleep?" he asked after a moment.

"I think so," Scarlett replied.

"How am I…"he started then stopped. "How am I gonna do this without her?"

Scarlett slid her hand into his. "I'm gonna be there and your friends...we'll help you, but you're gonna do it cause you're their daddy and you love them."

Her phone buzzed and she looked down at it. "Gunnar says Tandy wants to come over. Should I tell them to come?"

Deacon took another sip of his coffee and set the mug down on the step next to him. "Tell him we'll meet them back at the house. We gotta go back there sometime...might as well be now."

"Okay," Scarlett replied and tapped out a text back to Gunnar. "I'm gonna go wake the girls up and then we can go...okay?"

Deacon nodded. Time to face the music.


	2. Scarlett

Thank you for the lovely reviews and follows...you inspired me to write more. It's been a LONG time since I've written anything, so it's very appreciated. Special thanks to piratewench78 for her encouragement. So, I think this will actually be a few chapters...everyone seems to have a story to tell.

* * *

Scarlett stood in the hallway outside Rayna's room in the ICU. She could hear the girls' crying, the sound of the alarm. She stepped back as the medical personnel came rushing past her, pushing into the room. Her feet felt rooted to the floor, only moving when Deacon appeared in front of her, his face white, his arms holding the girls up on either side of him.

"Deacon?" she asked, not sure what else there even was to say.

He didn't respond, his face crumpling in a way she hadn't seen, even when her momma died.

She moved forward toward him, pulling Deacon and girls into her arms. The pain was unimaginable as she felt them begin to collapse to the floor. She pulled Daphne and Maddie closer as suddenly she saw Gunnar was there, his arms supporting Deacon. They moved awkwardly back to the couch where they had been waiting as Rayna slipped away.

Juliette took Maddie from her arms, sitting next to her, trying to soothe her as the girl continued to weep. She followed, bringing Daphne to the couch next to her sister. Scarlett looked over at Gunnar, his arms still around Deacon, supporting him as they leaned against the wall.

It felt like it went on forever and then the doctor came out and asked Deacon to come back into the room. It wasn't until he had gone inside the door that Scarlett realized suddenly just how quiet it had gotten.

She stood waiting, not sure if she should check on Deacon. After a few minutes, the doctor walked back out, closing the door to Rayna's room behind him. He turned and walked down the hall away from the group huddled outside the ICU. Scarlett sat for a moment, her hand resting on Daphne's back as the young girl heaved and cried.

"You should go check on him," Juliette said. Scarlett nodded and stood. She paused for a moment, then headed for the closed door.

* * *

She pushed the door open and walked in. Rayna was still on the bed. She went over and touched her-her skin was still warm, like when her own mother had died. She leaned down and kissed her gently on the temple. Rayna had been a sister, a mother, a mentor...she had looked after Scarlett and loved her.

Deacon sat on a chair a few feet away, his head down. She crossed over to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"You okay?" she asked.

He raised his head, his face stained with tears. "I don't think so."

"You need a few minutes here?" she asked, rubbing her hand across his back, trying to express any kind of comfort.

Deacon nodded silently.

"Juliette's with the girls. I'm gonna...I'm just gonna step out, but you come get me if you need me, okay?"

Deacon nodded. She looked at him again as his shoulders began to shake and his head dropped down again. How was the world so cruel to do this to this man...this man who didn't deserve any of this.

* * *

Scarlett stepped back into the hall. She looked to make sure the girls were okay, then stepped over where Gunnar was waiting.

"He okay?" Gunnar asked.

Scarlett shook her head. "No, but I don't know how he could be...how any of us will be."

"I talked to Will-Zach's gonna arrange for a plane to fly Tandy out here. There weren't any regular flights that could get her here tonight."

"Has anyone talked to her?" Scarlett asked. She had called Tandy earlier, when things first started to go downhill, but that had been several hours ago.

"I...I called her," Gunnar said. "When I knew what the arrangements would be. I called and told her while you were in there with Deacon. I hope that was okay."

"Thank you," Scarlett said, putting her hand on his arm. "That must have been incredibly hard."

Gunnar looked at her, his eyes filled with sadness. "There's nothin' that feels like losing a brother or a sister."

"Miss O'Connor?"

Scarlett turned at the sound of her name to find the nurse she'd seen earlier. There were two orderlies standing behind the nurse.

"Yes?"

"I...I don't want to rush anyone, but they're here...from the morgue…" The nurse stumbled slightly over her words.

Scarlett looked over at the closed door. "Can we give him a few more minutes? Then I'll go in and you can do what you need to do."

The nurse nodded and they stepped away from the door. Scarlett hated to make them wait, but she just couldn't go in and make Deacon leave Rayna. Not just yet.

* * *

The third time the nurse came around the corner to check on them, she knew it had been long enough.

"Let me go in, please," she said to the woman. "Then I'll let you folks do what you need to do."

She signaled Gunnar to come with her, then asked him to wait while she went in alone.

She pushed the door open. Deacon hadn't moved. This time she didn't go over to the bed, but instead went over and knelt in front of her uncle,

"Deacon...we need to go. They need to...they need to come take her," she said quietly.

He looked up at her, he was a broken man. "I don't know if I can."

"I'm so sorry, but, we need to let them take her," Scarlett said again. "And we need to take the girls home. Can you come with me?"

She waited as he took in a deep breath. "I can't go back there," he said quietly. "I can't go back to her house, not if she ain't there."

"It's okay...we don't need to," Scarlett replied. She looked over her shoulder and nodded. Gunnar slipped into the room.

"C'mon, Deacon," Gunnar said quietly, as he helped Deacon up from the chair. Deacon leaned heavily on him and she wasn't sure that either of them would be able to move. She slid under Deacon's other arm and slowly they headed back into the hall, leaving Rayna behind, alone in the room.

* * *

"You doing okay?" Gunnar asked as he paused at a red light. He reached over and took her hand in his.

"I don't know if there is any way to be okay with this," she replied. "I just feel like I gotta get Deacon somewhere where maybe he can close his eyes, somewhere quiet for the girls, for just a minute."

"Probably a good idea not to take them home," Gunnar replied.

Scarlett didn't respond. It had been a media circus since the first news of Rayna's accident had come over the police scanner. The crowd of TV trucks and reporters had only grown as news leaked out of her condition worsening. The folks from the security company had come to ask what they might do, but Deacon wouldn't even talk to them.

Gunnar turned onto Deacon's street. Thankfully it was dark-no sign of the media. Juliette had called Bo to pick up Deacon and the girls while she and Gunnar went ahead to get things ready.

"Scarlett…" Gunnar started as he parked in front of the house.

"I just need to get them through tonight," Scarlett said, her voice clipped. "Get them in the house, try to get them to sleep. Everything else can wait until tomorrow."

"I was just gonna say that I'll go pick Tandy up," Gunnar said, quietly.

She looked over at him. He'd been there since she got to the hospital. Just there, being there for her, for Deacon, for the girls.

"Thank you...that's...that's a lot of help right now," she said quietly.

He opened the door and got out, standing outside waiting for her to join him. He'd been there. The whole time.

* * *

Scarlett walked back to the bedroom she'd lived in on and off for the past few years. This night felt like a million years. The girls were so broken and Deacon...Deacon seemed destroyed. She'd gotten them settled, taken care of for now. Gunnar left for the airport and the house...it was finally quiet as everyone was asleep.

Everyone except her.

She laid down on her bed, not taking off her clothes, toeing off her shoes as she brought her legs up on the soft coverlet.

She thought that losing her momma, having to make that decision was the worst thing that would ever happen to her, but in some ways, this felt worse. Because she knew how those girls felt, how lost they were, how long and how hard it would hurt.

Finally she cried.


	3. Tandy

Tandy walked out to the small private plane sitting outside the small general aviation terminal. The ride in the car down to Silicon Valley had felt like it took forever, but she would get to Rayna faster on Zach's plane than any of the connecting flights from San Francisco.

She looked down at her phone buzzing in her hands. It was Scarlett. She took a deep breath and answered the call.

"Yes," she said, her voice hesitant.

She expected to hear Deacon's niece, but it was a man.

"Uh...Ms Hampton, it's Gunnar Scott. I...I have very bad news. I'm so very, very sorry."

Tandy took in a deep breath, her voice catching. No. It wasn't possible. She had talked to Rayna earlier, after surgery. Everything was fine. She was fine. Tandy was going to fly out and be there as she recovered and she was fine.

Fine.

"What?" she asked again, needing Gunnar to say it again.

"I'm so very sorry," Gunnar said. "It just...it just went so fast."

"But I talked to her...I talked to her this afternoon and she was fine. She was fine," Tandy said, her voice breaking.

"I'm sure they can explain it better when you get here, but it was a complication. It...it just, it just happened so fast."

Tandy listened silently as Gunnar offered to pick her up when the flight landed.

In four hours.

In Nashville.

Where her sister was dead.

Deacon was the one who called about the accident, after Rayna had gone into surgery. She had offered to come right away, but it was the middle of the night and at that point, it didn't seem feasible. She had been making plans the next day when Rayna called, loopy on drugs after surgery.

"You sure you're okay?" Tandy asked.

"Oh, I'm beat up and all, but I'm fine," Rayna had said. "I did have a weird dream, though."

"What kinda dream, honey?" she'd asked her sister.

Rayna had paused. "I'm not sure I should tell you-it scared Deacon."

"You can tell me anything," Tandy replied. "What was it?"

"I saw Mom," Rayna said. "She was right there-right in the chair next to me. I talked to her about this song I wrote with Deacon last night. She helped me figure out it was already finished."

Tandy felt a cold wash over her, but made her voice upbeat. "Honey, they are giving you some good drugs, then. How'd she look?"

"Beautiful," Rayna had replied.

She should have gotten on a plane that moment. Of course, based on what Gunnar had said, it still would have been too late.

* * *

"Can I get you anything?"

Tandy looked up at the flight attendant standing in front of her. She shook her head. She couldn't think of eating or drinking anything. She knew it was shock, she remembered it when her mom died, when her dad died, her husband...everyone around her. Everyone was dead. All of them.

She choked on the tears as they started again. At this point in her life, she would have thought she didn't have any left.

The attendant was back, this time with a glass of water. Tandy took it from her, nodding her thanks.

"I'm so very sorry," the woman said. "We...your sister flew with us last fall. She was a very nice person."

"Thank you," Tandy replied as she took a sip from the glass.

"We should be there in about an hour," the attendant added. "Please let me know if there is anything...anything at all that I can do for you."

"Thank you," Tandy replied. This would just be the beginning of it...the expressions of sympathy, and all the people who thought they knew Rayna because they'd seen her all their lives.

But she was Tandy's sister. Her only one.

* * *

The plane touched down and taxied to the terminal. Tandy reached down for her purse. There was no way to put this off now-she was in Nashville and Rayna wouldn't be, ever.

She stepped down off the plane to find a tall, young man waiting for her. It took her moment, then she recognized Gunnar. He crossed over to her, taking her suitcase from the flight attendant.

"Scarlett asked me to come pick you up," Gunnar explained as they walked to his car. "She took Deacon and the girls back to Deacon's house for the night."

"They didn't go home?" Tandy asked, confused. "Is everything okay?"

"Best as can be expected, of course," Gunnar replied. "There's been a lot of media, and Deacon...well, they're all taking it pretty hard."

He lifted the back gate to his car and put her suitcase in, closing the door before he turned to her.

"If it's okay, I was going to take you to my house for the night," Gunnar explained. "I've got a guest room. I'll take you...I can take you to Rayna's in the morning. Scarlett will bring the girls and Deacon over then. She was just hoping they might sleep a little bit tonight."

Tandy sighed. "That's fine...I...it's...thank you, Gunnar." Honestly, she wasn't sure what to say. She just wanted to see the girls, hold them in her arms, but it was late and it would be best to do it all in the morning.

* * *

As she got into the passenger seat, her phone began to ring. She pulled it out of her purse and looked at it. The number was blocked. She paused, then answered the call.

A recording announcing a call from an inmate at a federal prison began. She listened, then connected to the call. Teddy.

"Is it true?"

She sat in the car as Gunnar drove down the dark streets toward his house, not sure what to say to her former brother in law.

"I saw it on the news and I didn't want to call the girls...is it true?"

She choked on a sob. She hadn't actually had to say the words yet.

"Yes, it's true. She's dead, Teddy. She died."

There wasn't much more to discuss with Teddy. He would call his lawyer in the morning and see if he could get a furlough to come home for the funeral, but Tandy didn't have any details, so after a minute she ended the call.

"I hated having to talk about it with people," Gunnar said after a minute. "I mean, I didn't so much care if they knew my brother had died, but I hated having to talk about how and what and where and how it was all making me feel."

"You lost a brother?" she asked, looking over at him as Gunnar's eyes stayed fixed on the road ahead.

"A couple of years ago," Gunnar replied. "It's a very hard thing to live through."

Tandy reached over to touch his arm. Gunnar dropped his right hand from the wheel and took her hand in his.

* * *

"The room's just there at the top of the steps," Gunnar said as he opened the kitchen door and let her into the house. "Can I get you something? Something to eat? Drink?"

Tandy walked into the house and dropped her bag on the floor near the couch.

"You have any bourbon?" she asked.

Gunnar closed the door behind him and crossed to the kitchen, opened one of the cupboards and pulled out two glasses. "Absolutely."

"Our father hated everything thing about Deacon Claybourne," Tandy said as she finished another glass of bourbon. "I mean, I'm not totally sure he would have kicked her out of the house if it hadn't been for Deacon."

She looked over at Gunnar whose eyes were at half mast. "I'm sorry, you don't need to listen to me going on about this."

"No, but to be fair, I am more a fan of Deacon," Gunnar responded.

"Oh, I know...believe me, the Deacon of now is nothing like that kid or the drunk later...but she loved him. She always loved him." Tandy choked on the last words. "He's going to be destroyed without her. And the girls…"

Gunnar reached over and took the empty glass from her hand. "Maybe it's time for us to think about getting some sleep. We'll have lots of time to talk about this tomorrow."

Tandy looked over at him and nodded. "You're probably right. Sorry if I got a little too…"

"There are no wrong things tonight," Gunnar responded. "But let's go to bed. Tomorrow's gonna be a long day for all of us."

* * *

Tandy woke up the next morning, her mouth dry, the slight ache of a headache behind her left eye. She slid out from the comforter and headed toward the bathroom. They had all put it off long enough...she needed to see the girls.

She needed to see Deacon.

She needed to do it for her sister.


	4. Maddie

_**Thank you for the lovely reviews-it's great to know people are following and reading the story.**_

* * *

Maddie laid on her dad's bed, not moving. She heard Scarlett get up and walk to the door, slowly opening it and closing it again as she left the room.

She let out her breath, feeling Daphne beside her, her breathing even as she slept. It felt like they had cried for hours-she had never thought about what it meant that someone was inconsolable, but this must be it. There was nothing Scarlett or her dad or Juliette or anyone could say to make this okay.

Maddie wasn't sure she'd ever be able to sleep again. Why had she left the hospital like that? All those hours she spent with Clay? They were the last hours of her mom's life and she hadn't been there.

She choked down a sob and rolled on her side, her back to Daphne.

Ever since she'd found out about Deacon being her dad, she'd dreamed of having that family, of Deacon and her mom being together, but when it happened, she never appreciated it. She took it all for granted, always thinking it would still be there when she came back, just like her mom would be there when she got to the hospital.

But nothing is life was guaranteed. What would she do now?

* * *

Maddie got up and went into the bathroom, splashing some water on her face. She had been lying in bed, awake for what felt like hours.

She slipped out into the hall, to get a glass of water. As she stepped into the kitchen, she saw the light on in the living room. Her dad was asleep on the couch. She stopped, not wanting to disturb him.

So much had happened since that day she found the results of her paternity test. As a girl, her mom hadn't ever talked much about Deacon, other than he was a friend and he had always been around, in the band, on the road when her mom was touring. But the wayTeddy acted around him, she knew something wasn't normal-Teddy didn't treat Bucky the way he treated Deacon and Bucky was around all the time, too.

It was hard to understand what had happened, how they had lived that lie for so many years, but Maddie knew her mom had her reasons. Being with Clay now, she understood how complicated it could be to love someone who had big personal demons like her dad did.

She felt her breath catch as she thought about the conversation she'd had with her mom in the kitchen only a few days ago. She had never really thought about what it meant that her mom had loved her dad so much when he was drinking.

She looked at Deacon and a wave of pain washed over her. Would he be able to handle this? Would this horrible thing make him drink again like it did when he found out about her?

Deacon stirred on the couch and sat up. He looked over at her and held his hand out. "C'mere."

She crossed the room and sat down next to him. She had no idea, what to say, how to share all of her fears. She choked out "How can she be gone?"

Her dad looked at her and shook his head. "I don't know."

She wanted to tell him how afraid she was, but couldn't put voice to her fears for him. Instead she leaned against him and said "I don't want to be here without her."

He offered to take her home, but that wasn't what she meant. She didn't want to be at this place in their lives, in a world without her mom-not just for her, but for Daphne, for her dad.

"No, I don't want to be anywhere without her," she explained.

Deacon leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Me neither, sweetie...me neither."

He pulled her tight in his arms and held her.

And finally...finally she slept.

* * *

 _The first thing she heard was the voice. It was singing. She followed it out of her room, down the hall and to the top of the stairs. She paused. She wanted to follow the sound, to find out who was singing._

 _But she already knew. It was her mom. She started to go down the steps, but then stopped. If she went down there, her mom would be gone. She was gone. If she stayed here, maybe she could still hear the voice singing._

Maddie sat up, the smell of coffee hanging in the air. She could hear the sound of her dad talking to Scarlett on the porch. The dream held on, she could still feel her mom there. She sat for a moment, trying to decide what to make of it. She knew what her mom would want her to do-she would want her to take care of her dad. She would be there for him, like her mom had been. She could do that.

TBC


	5. Teddy

Teddy walked down the hallway of the prison camp toward the barracks. Dinner had finished a few minutes earlier and he was looking for the book he had started earlier in the day before his work shift started. Life had a standard pattern here-the evenings could be quiet, though, which he appreciated.

"Hey, Conrad," a man called from down the hall. "You should get down to the activity room."

He looked up-it was Jackson, one of the guys in his barrack's pod. He was a nice enough guy, didn't cause a lot of drama around the camp.

"I'm headed back to read," Teddy said.

"You should come," Jackson replied. "It's about your ex-wife. On the TV."

* * *

Teddy stood in front of the television, the news story that Rayna was rumored to be dead. He was kind of surprised that the news of her accident hadn't made its way to him earlier in the day, but prison was funny that way-some stuff shot through the place like wildfire and then some things seemed to just stay under the radar.

He felt his throat catch, wondering if it was true...where Maddie and Daphne were...what had happened. They had said it was a car accident. How could that be? Another one?

Teddy remembered the night the call came about the accident on Granny White Pike. The shock he had felt at seeing Rayna's still, broken body in the ER. And how it had taken everything in him not to kill Deacon Claybourne right there. If Deacon had done this...Teddy felt the anger rage through his body.

"That's just a crazy story," Teddy heard one of the other inmates say.

"What?" Teddy asked. He looked up at the television screen where the announcer was explaining about the seemingly random accident after Rayna had been threatened by a stalker. It didn't seem possible-Rayna was a force of life. There was no way she could be dead.

* * *

Teddy headed back to his bunk for the list of phone numbers he kept there. It took him a moment to think about who to call. Not Rayna. Not the girls.

Deacon?

He looked down the list. It wasn't a huge shock, but Deacon's number wasn't listed. Should he call Rayna and see who answered?

It didn't feel right. Nothing felt right.

He walked back to the activity room. The news was over and there weren't anymore updates on Rayna. He stood for a moment, trying to think what to do, how to find out what was happening. And for the first time in a long time, he truly felt confined. Locked up.

* * *

Teddy lay back on his bed, trying to sleep, but it was impossible. He couldn't stop thinking about Rayna. About the girls. Wondering what was happening. He sat up.

Tandy. She had sent him a card, after Rayna's wedding and she had included her phone number. He had never called her-it didn't seem right, but that card, it had to be here somewhere.

He opened the cabinet next to his bed and started digging through it. There were letters from the girls, documents from his lawyer, a note from Rayna. He paused over that one.

And there it was...a generic "thinking of you" card. He opened it and yes, she had left her number on the bottom.

Teddy looked up. It was quiet in the barracks, definitely after lights out. He got up and walked toward the small room where the guard sat. He tapped on the door and it swung open.

"Conrad?" the guard asked as he stepped in. "Something the matter?"

Teddy sighed. It was Mathis. Not the worst guy here, but not the most sympathetic either. A stickler for the rules.

"Sorry, sir," Teddy started. "I, uh...my ex-wife was in an accident. I was going to call earlier, but my lawyer was gone and I just didn't think it was right to call my daughters not knowing what was happening."

The guard nodded.

"Anyway, I found a number for my ex-wife's sister and I was hoping...I mean, I can wait until tomorrow, but I just...it's hard not knowing what's happening. I mean, on the news they said she was rumored to be dead."

"That's right...your ex is Rayna Jaymes, isn't she?" Mathis replied.

Teddy nodded. There really were no secrets here.

"It's a tough break, man," the guard replied. "And you have kids?"

"Two," Teddy replied. "One's seventeen and other is twelve."

"Tough time to lose a parent," Mathis replied. "Yeah, let me get someone down here to cover, and you'll need to make it quick, but I can let you try to call her."

* * *

Teddy stood at the pay phone in the hallway. It was quiet around him, but it still felt like such a public place to make one of the hardest calls he would ever have to make. He looked at the card, took a deep breath and dialed Tandy's number.

The phone rang four times and then he heard her answer. Her voice sounded so odd...quiet...sad.

"Tandy...it's Teddy. Is it true?"

The other end of the line of silent. He should have not just blurted it out, but he had to know.

"I saw it on the news and I didn't want to call the girls...is it true?"

He heard Tandy choke on a sob. Then she spoke. "Yes, it's true. She's dead, Teddy. She died."

He caught himself crying as well now. He couldn't believe it. For as hard as his life with Rayna had been, part of him still loved her. Loved her for the mother that she was, for the life they had had before everything had gone wrong.

"How?" he asked. "I mean...what happened? How are the girls?"

"I don't know, Teddy. I just got here. I haven't seen the girls yet. I probably won't until the morning," she replied.

He paused, not sure what to say. "Do you know...what arrangements have been made?"

"I'm not sure," Tandy responded, her voice suddenly sounding so tired. "Can...can you call again in the morning? I'll know more then."

"Of course," Teddy answered. "And I'll call my lawyer. Maybe I can...maybe I can come, at least for the funeral, to see the girls."

He heard her crying again.

"I'm so sorry, Tandy...so very, very sorry."

He hung up the call and started walking back to his bed. Until he'd heard Tandy's voice, he'd held out some hope the TV was wrong. But now it was all so real.

What would Maddie and Daphne do without their mother? It was unimaginable.

He walked into the dark room and sank down on his bed. Rayna was gone.

* * *

 _ **Thank you for the lovely reviews...I truly appreciate hearing that you are reading the story.**_


	6. Gunnar

Gunnar

Gunnar stood against the wall in the hospital, not sure if he should stay or go. Things, as always, were so weird with Scarlett, but he couldn't imagine not being here for her, for Deacon, for Rayna. Even with things the way they were, this was all the family he really had anymore.

The doctors and nurses came rushing down the hall and into Rayna's room and then it seemed like the world stopped. It felt like that moment when the police officer walked him into the morgue and showed him Jason's still body lying on the table. He stood there, frozen as Scarlett moved toward the sound of Maddie and Daphne. They were crying. He could hear Deacon now and suddenly he was propelled, into the room, his arms around Deacon, holding him, helping him away as the doctors tried to save Rayna.

He held Deacon as they leaned against the wall, Gunnar could feel him shaking, his emotions on his face and coursing through his body. He knew, but he didn't know, what Deacon was going through.

* * *

They waited outside the room for Deacon to say his goodbyes when his phone buzzed. It was Will texting 911. He called him back immediately.

"Zach's plane is reach to go as soon as Rayna's sister gets there. Any updates we should give her?" Will asked.

"Shit," Gunnar replied. He didn't really want to be the person to start passing around this news, but people would have to be told.

"I'm really sorry, Will," he started.

"No," Will replied. "Seriously?"

"Yep," Gunnar responded. "Uh...I'll...I'll call Tandy. I know her, a little bit. You said she's taking off soon?"

He got the details from Will and hung up. He stood there for a moment trying to decide if he should ask Scarlett what to do. But she was still with Deacon. He looked over and saw her phone sitting on the couch and decided to just call Tandy himself.

"Yes," Tandy said, her voice hesitant when she answered.

Gunnar took a deep breath. "Uh...Ms Hampton, it's Gunnar Scott. I...I have very bad news. I'm so very, very sorry."

"What?" she asked.

He paused, not wanting to have to actually say the words, to hurt Rayna's sister that way. "I'm so very sorry. It just...it just went so fast."

"But I talked to her...I talked to her this afternoon and she was fine. She was fine," Tandy said, her voice breaking.

"I'm sure they can explain it better when you get here, but it was a complication. It...it just, it just happened so fast.

"Uh, they're going to fly you to John Tone, so I can pick you up there. I know that you'll want to see the girls and…" His voice trailed off, he wasn't sure what else to say.

"Thank you, Gunnar," she finally replied. "I'll...I'll see you when I get there."

He ended the call and put the phone back on the couch. It just never got an easier.

* * *

He looked up as Scarlett walked out of Rayna's room, she paused to look at the girls and then came over to him.

"He okay?" Gunnar asked.

Scarlett shook her head. "No, but I don't know how he could be...how any of us will be."

"I talked to Will-Zach's gonna arrange for a plane to fly Tandy out here. There weren't any regular flights that could get her here tonight."

"Has anyone talked to her?" Scarlett asked.

"I...I called her," Gunnar said. "When I knew what the arrangements would be. I called and told her while you were in there with Deacon. I hope that was okay."

"Thank you," Scarlett said, putting her hand on his arm. "That must have been incredibly hard."

Gunnar looked at her, his eyes filled with sadness. "There's nothin' that feels like losing a brother or a sister."

"Miss O'Connor?" a nurse asked as she walked up to Scarlett.

There were two orderlies standing behind the nurse. Gunnar knew why they were here and wondered what Scarlett would do about Deacon.

"I...I don't want to rush anyone, but they're here...from the morgue…" The nurse stumbled slightly over her words.

Gunnar took in a deep breath. He tried to imagine what it would feel like if that was Scarlett in there...how Deacon could...no...he couldn't got there. And hopefully never would have to.

* * *

After Bo put Deacon and the girls into Juliette's car, Gunnar waited for a moment for Scarlett. "Do you? Do you want to follow me? Or we can leave your car here and get it in the morning," he offered.

Scarlett looked at him, her face was still awash with pain. "I'm not even sure I remember where I parked," she admitted.

He held out his hand, which she took after a moment. "C'mon...we'll figure it out later."

They walked across the parking lot in silence until they reached Gunnar's car.

"Thank you," she said as he opened the door for her.

He shrugged.

"No, not for this...for before, with Deacon. Thank you for being here."

He looked over at her. "I don't want to be anywhere else, Scarlett."

She nodded and got into the car.

* * *

"You doing okay?" Gunnar asked as he paused at a red light. He reached over and took her hand in his.

"I don't know if there is any way to be okay with this," she replied. "I just feel like I gotta get Deacon somewhere where maybe he can close his eyes, somewhere quiet for the girls, for just a minute."

"Probably a good idea not to take them home," Gunnar replied.

Scarlett was quiet. He wished he could say the right thing now, which it seemed like wasn't possible, but then again, there wasn't anything to say that would make any of this okay.

"Scarlett…" he started as he parked in front of the house.

"I just need to get them through tonight," Scarlett said, her voice clipped. "Get them in the house, try to get them to sleep. Everything else can wait until tomorrow."

"I was just gonna say that I'll go pick Tandy up," Gunnar said, quietly. He had to ease back, give her space now. That's how Scarlett was.

She looked over at him. "Thank you...that's...that's a lot of help right now," she said quietly.

* * *

He stood in the kitchen while Deacon and Scarlett took the girls into Deacon's bedroom to try to get them to sleep. He looked at his phone-maybe he should just leave now and go to the airport, wait there. He was about to leave a note for Scarlett and go, but Deacon walked out of the bedroom and it felt like maybe he should stick around for a little bit longer. He watched as Deacon crossed the room and sat down on the couch.

"Can I get you something?" Gunnar offered as Scarlett walked into the living room.

Deacon shook his head, then cleared his throat. "Uh, maybe a glass of water."

Scarlett headed for the kitchen and came back with the glass and a small plastic bottle. "I picked up your pills when I ran over to the house earlier."

Deacon took the water and the pills from her, tossing them into his mouth and washing them down. "Thanks."

"You gotta take care of yourself," Scarlett admonished him. "You should get some sleep, too."

He looked up at her. "Not sure I can," Deacon answered.

"Can you try for me?" she asked.

"What about you?" he responded. He looked over at Gunnar. "I don't know that I remember either one of you leaving the hospital yesterday...I mean, today...how long were we there?"

Gunnar shrugged. He had no idea how long they had all been there. Was it last night? This morning?

"Tandy's coming?" Deacon asked.

"I'm gonna go out and pick her up in a while," Gunnar said. "Her flight gets here a little after eleven."

"I called her when they took Rayna to ICU," Scarlett explained.

Deacon nodded. "I...I can't see her tonight," he stated.

"I'll take her to my house," Gunnar offered. "I can call Will and have him make up Avery's room."

Deacon looked at him. "Thanks...I'm not sure...what would I do without y'all?"

Scarlett came over and sat down next to him, sliding her arm around him. "We're you're family. And we'll be here as long as you need us."

* * *

Gunnar pulled into the parking lot near the general aviation terminal. Deacon had tried to get Scarlett to come with him, she wouldn't leave the girls. Gunnar thought it was a good idea, plus it would be easier to just pick up Tandy and get her settled back at his house.

He checked in with the guy in the terminal who said Zach's plane had been cleared to land. As he stood there watching the plane taxi toward the terminal, he wondered again how he'd find the words.

Gunnar stood waiting as Rayna's sister stepped down off the plane. It took her moment, then she recognized Gunnar. He crossed over to her, taking her suitcase from the flight attendant.

"Scarlett asked me to come pick you up," Gunnar explained as they walked to his car. "She took Deacon and the girls back to Deacon's house for the night."

"They didn't go home?" Tandy asked, confused. "Is everything okay?"

"Best as can be expected, of course," Gunnar replied. "There's been a lot of media, and Deacon...well, they're all taking it pretty hard."

He lifted the back gate to his car and put her suitcase in, closing the door before he turned to her.

"If it's okay, I was going to take you to my house for the night," Gunnar explained. "I've got a guest room. I'll take you...I can take you to Rayna's in the morning. Scarlett will bring the girls and Deacon over then. She was just hoping they might sleep a little bit tonight."

Tandy sighed. "That's fine...I...it's...thank you, Gunnar."

If he was being honest, he wasn't sure she was thrilled with this turn of events, but then again, he'd only met Rayna's sister a couple of times, so it was hard to tell if that was how she felt, or if the grief and exhaustion was just shutting her down.

As they got into the car, her phone rang. He looked over to see if it was Scarlett and the plans had changed, but it wasn't. It was Rayna's ex-husband.

He put the car into drive and headed toward East Nashville as she repeated the horrible conversation he'd had with her earlier-this time she was the one delivering the unthinkable news.

She was quiet when the call ended.

"I hated having to talk about it with people," Gunnar said after a minute. "I mean, I didn't so much care if they knew my brother had died, but I hated having to talk about how and what and where and how it was all making me feel."

"You lost a brother?" she asked, looking over at him as Gunnar's eyes stayed fixed on the road ahead.

"A couple of years ago," Gunnar replied. "It's a very hard thing to live through."

Tandy reached over to touch his arm. Gunnar dropped his right hand from the wheel and took her hand in his. It was still so hard to talk about Jason, for so many reasons, but tonight it felt like maybe he could share some of that to make it feel a little bit less lonely for someone else.

* * *

"The room's just there at the top of the steps," Gunnar said as he opened the kitchen door and let her into the house. "Can I get you something? Something to eat? Drink?"

Tandy walked into the house and dropped her bag on the floor near the couch.

"You have any bourbon?" she asked.

* * *

Gunnar closed the door behind him and crossed to the kitchen, opened one of the cupboards and pulled out two glasses. "Absolutely."

Gunnar walked into his bedroom and closed the door behind him. The covers on his bed were thrown back where he'd left them this morning. Scarlett was the one who made the bed.

It seemed like only yesterday they were back here, together again.

And now Scarlett was gone again. And this terrible thing had happened.

And Gunnar felt alone.

So alone.

* * *

Thank you to those who have read and reviewed the story. I appreciate it. One more chapter to go here. - RW


	7. Daphne

The ride from the hospital was a blur. It didn't feel real. None of it felt real. Scarlett coming to get her, her mom in the bed, hurt but okay and then during her song that look...and then the end. It wasn't real. It couldn't be real.

She heard Deacon talking to Bo and then Juliette's bodyguard picked her up and began carrying her into Deacon's house. She thought about telling him she could walk, but she was so tired, she just let him carry her.

They went into Deacon's bedroom and he put her down on the bed.

"Dad?" Daphne asked.

Deacon moved to the other side of the bed where Daphne lay and sat down. "Yes, sweet girl?"

"Did you call Aunt Tandy?"

Scarlett looked at him and nodded.

"She's on a plane, honey," Scarlett said. "And...and we're gonna call your dad in the morning."

Daphne nodded slowly and turned on her side. She felt Deacon's hand rubbing her back. She wanted to cry, but she was also out of tears. There was nothing left. She was empty.

 _You have a gift._

Her mom told her that, at the hospital, told her to use her voice. But her voice was gone now. Her mom was gone.

Deacon's hand moved back and forth, slowly across her back, attempting to sooth her.

 _You know who else loves you? Deacon._

He was here. Right now. But her mom wasn't. She felt a sob rise and choke in her throat.

 _You can rely on each other._

She felt her body relax slightly. Her mom was right. Deacon would be there.

Her breathing grew even and she felt Deacon stand up from the bed. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, like her mom did. Used to.

She knew that if she let him know that she was still awake, he'd stay there and that might be good. But she also wanted to be there, just with Maddie.

"Daph?"

She felt Maddie move on the bed next to her. She should answer. But she wanted to keep pretending that she was asleep. Because maybe if she pretended long enough, she would fall asleep. And then maybe she would wake up and this would be a dream.

A bad dream.

 _You're my treasure._

She smiled at the sound of her mom's voice in her head. But then it was quiet again.

And she knew it would never be the same again. Her mom was dead.

* * *

The next morning when she woke up, the bed was empty. She sat up. The door to the bathroom was closed and she could hear the shower running. She ran her fingers through her hair and straightened the clothes she'd had on since Scarlett came to pick her up at her rehearsal.

She opened the door to the bedroom and went out into the hall. The front door was open and she could hear Deacon and Scarlett talking on the front porch. She stopped, not sure if she should go out there or not.

"How am I gonna do this without her?" she heard Deacon say.

"I'm gonna be there and your friends...we'll help you, but you're gonna do it cause you're their daddy and you love them," Scarlett answered.

Daphne started to go out to the porch when she heard Scarlett again.

"Gunnar says Tandy wants to come over. Should I tell them to come?"

Daphne felt a wash of relief go over her at the news of Aunt Tandy's arrival. It wasn't the same as her mom, but it felt better knowing she was here.

Deacon took another sip of his coffee and set the mug down on the step next to him. "Tell him we'll meet them back at the house. We gotta go back there sometime...might as well be now."

"Okay," Scarlett replied and tapped out a text back to Gunnar. "I'm gonna go wake the girls up and then we can go...okay?"

Daphne backed up, not sure if she should let them know she had been listening. She was just about to head back into the bedroom when the door opened and Deacon came in.

"Hey, honey," he said as he opened his arms to her. She paused and then went to him, his arms wrapping around her. She could count on him and he could count on her.

* * *

The End

Thank you to all who read along with this story and especially to those who took time to leave a review.- RW


End file.
